Osaka by Yodo River and Osaka Bay, Japan – January 13th, 2012

Situated near the center of this orthorectified wide-swath ASAR image is Osaka, a city in the Kansai region of Japan’s main island of Honshu, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture. Located at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay, Osaka is the third largest city by population after Tokyo (special wards) and Yokohama.

The city of Osaka has its west side open to Osaka Bay. It is otherwise completely surrounded by more than ten smaller cities, all of them in Osaka Prefecture, with one exception: the city of Amagasaki, belonging to Hyōgo Prefecture, in the northwest. The city occupies a larger area (about 13%) than any other city or village within Osaka Prefecture. The highest point in Osaka is in Tsurumi-ku at 37.5 metres (123.0 ft), and the lowest point is in Nishiyodogawa-ku at −2.2 metres (−7.2 ft).